Kindled (Page 53)

She tried to push herself to her feet, but her weak and trembling muscles wouldn’t allow her to stand. She collapsed on the floor, curling up in a tight ball as she fought against the fierce shivers that wracked painfully through her body. Clamping her teeth together, it took all she had not to scream again as she was wracked with fierce, bone wrenching spasms. Sweat poured down her body, coating her skin, plastering her clothes to her.

At some point in time unconsciousness claimed her once more. She awoke again, still curled up in a ball, freezing cold and an aching mass of pain. She uncurled slowly, her cramped muscles screaming in protest at the movement. She was unable to suppress the moan of agony that escaped her as she crawled forward, unable to regain her feet.

Reaching the bed, she somehow managed to drag herself onto it before passing out once more.

When she awoke again, her body still ached but every movement was no longer excruciating. There was a plate of food on the floor by the door. She stared at it, unable to decide if she actually wanted to eat it, or if she even wanted to tempt fate by moving again. Eventually the rumbling in her stomach won out.

Climbing gingerly off the mattress she made her way slowly to the tray, using the wall for support. Creeping away from the wall, she grabbed hold of the tray and made her way cautiously back to the bed. She stared at the darkened mirror of Julian’s room, wondering where he was, or if he was even still alive.

A hollow feeling filled her at the thought of him being gone. Though he would probably still rip her throat out if given the chance, she thought of him as a strange sort of ally now. Both of them were here against their wills, and both of them were going through hell. Or at least she assumed that Julian was going through the same hell as she was.

Turning away, she sat on her bed as she poked through the contents of her tray. There was a bowl of soup, a large piece of French bread, and a tuna fish sandwich. She had never been a big fan of soup or tuna fish, but her rumbling stomach didn’t care what her taste buds desired. Picking up the sandwich she was about to take a bite when it occurred to her that they had probably drugged her food too.

She paused with the sandwich halfway to her mouth. Dropping it back down, she stared at the food, trying to ignore the loud, protesting rumble of her stomach. She couldn’t recall the last time she had even had the opportunity to eat. She wanted to push it away, wanted to refuse the food that may very well be laced with even more drugs, but she simply couldn’t.

She was starving, and she needed some kind of nutrients if she was ever going to escape from this hell hole. Biting deep into the sandwich, she ignored the taste of it as she chewed and swallowed quickly. The soup was cold, but tolerable if she used the bread to sop it up first.

Her stomach was still rumbling after she finished, but she felt a little better. When she rose again, she didn’t almost fall over. She dropped the tray by the door and turned toward the bathroom. She had noticed a small shower stall in there the other day, and right now that sounded like a little bit of heaven to her.

She turned on the light, blinking against the harsh glow. The shower head and two knobs came out of the wall. It was set up like a shower on a boat with no curtain, or door; there was simply a drain beneath it. Cassie glanced at the small counter by the sink. There was a travel size bar of soap and shampoo set next to a towel, a brush on the other side. There was no mirror above the sink.

Cassie stripped quickly out of her soiled clothes and turned the shower on as hot as she could stand it. She stood beneath the water, relishing in the heat and pounding spray as it helped to soothe some of the tension in her knotted muscles. The water was turning cold before she abandoned it. Her body felt much better, her muscles were looser, and not as twisted. Though she was not back to normal, she could now at least move without wincing with every step.

Beneath the towel she found a set of blue medical scrubs. She stared at them for a long moment; she was loath to put anything on that they had given her. Glancing back at her soiled, stained, stinking clothes that she had no idea how long she had been wearing, she realized that she could not put them back on. They reeked of vomit, BO, and sweat. Wrinkling her nose at them, she grabbed hold of the scrubs and quickly slipped them on.

She found a toothbrush and a small tube of toothpaste; at least her teeth would not rot out while she was here. She brushed for a long time, eager to get the lingering taste of bile and fish out of her mouth. She worked the tangles out of her hair, wishing that they had thought to leave her conditioner but knowing that she had already received more than she could have hoped for. They had probably only given her these things because they had also grown tired of the stench of her.

Feeling almost human again, she made her way slowly out of the bathroom, turning the light off. She was surprised, and relieved, to find the light in Julian’s room was on. She hurried toward her bed, kneeling upon it as she peered eagerly into the room in search of him. By the door was a small bag of blood. Cassie turned swiftly away from it, the sight of it making her feel slightly ill again.

Glancing down, she found Julian lying upon his bed, his arm draped over his eyes. He was also freshly showered with a pair of blue scrubs on. Though he looked clean, and somewhat refreshed, there were tight lines around his mouth, his eyes were squinted shut, and his jaw was clenched. It was obvious that he was battling lingering remnants of pain also.

Julian moved his arm, peering up at her with one eye. She frowned down at him, her eyebrows drawn together questioningly. “You weren’t here earlier,” she said softly.

“No, I wasn’t. You’re looking better than yesterday.”

Cassie started in surprise. “I was here yesterday?” she croaked.

Amusement flickered across his features. “You were here, but you were barely functioning.”

Cassie slumped down on her bed, shock left her immobile. She didn’t even remember being in this room yesterday. How bad had she been? What had they done to her that could possibly be worse than the unending volts of electricity she had received today? “What did they do to me?” she whispered.

Julian was silent for a moment, and then his head appeared over top of the window. “I don’t know princess, but it wasn’t pretty. You were a slobbering, blubbering mess.”

Cassie glanced sharply at him, her eyes narrowing at his assessment of her condition. “Well, I don’t remember it!” she retorted sharply.

He grinned down at her, the lines on his face easing slightly. “Don’t get so defensive princess; I’m just stating a fact.”